Silver Silence
by Miranda Crystal-Bearer
Summary: Rated for blood...Maybe I should up the rating... Anyway, they say silence is golden, but not when it's constant!


Silver Silence  
  
A/N: Here we go! It's another Season one fic by CaptainKidmon! It has Matt as main charicter, and sorry if any you like gets a minor roll. I don't think I'll have the Digimon talk, 'cause I usually forget them anyway. But, here's the fic, and if you don't like hearing about Matt getting hurt, then don't read and do me a BIG favor and go jump off a cliff. And Digimon is not mine, I just use the characters in my insane story plots! BAI!  
  
P.S: They say silence is golden, but not when it's constant!  
  
Matt stood at the bank of the stream, the sound of rushing water filling his ears. The mist of the waterfall settled damply on his face. Matt blinked and watched the water, silver under the light of the waxing gibbus moon, flow over the broken edge of a small cliff, foaming and frothing as it fell, to break the still, mirror-like surface of the pool. The pool ended in a gentle stream flowing outwards to the unkown of the Digital World.  
  
Matt took a deep breath of the sweet night air. A gentle breeze carressed his face, running soft fingers through his hair, ruffling his clothes against him. Matt glanced over his shoulder. The campfire crackled merrily in the distance, a shining candle flame in the great expanse of the land. Faintly and broken came the voices of the other Digi-Destined on the wind. They knew he was gone, but they wouldn't come looking for him. He was alone. Gabumon was asleep.  
  
Matt looked back at the enticing water. He knelt and slipped off his boots and socks. He worked at rolling his jeans up until they rested above his knees. Cumbersome, but better than nothing. He slipped his shirt over his head and waded into the softly rippling water. He paused before the waterfall, feeling the spray settle chillingly on his bare skin. He stepped beneath it, letting the water cover him, soak him. He stepped through it into a small cave behind the water. Here was a warm pool, still and deep. He waded forward.  
  
The water seeped upwards until it was lapping at his shoulders. Matt took two more steps. The water tickled his chin with a soft touch. He was at the center of the pool, in its deepest parts. The water was cooling to his hot shoulders. Matt was fairer skinned than any other Digi-Destined, save Izzy. But Izzy didn't get burned. Matt had stood in the sun too long during midday, and had paid for it, painfully. Matt took a breath, and ducked his head under. The pool stilled, until Matt broke the surface again, water dripping from his chin, falling from his hair into his face to cling to his soft, dark lashes. Matt looked around the cave to the walls, where the rippling water was reflected. He brought one hand up and pulled his blonde hair from his face. Matt glanced down at his rippled reflection.  
  
He had always been different from the others, but his face marked it. High cheekbones and forehead, large azure eyes with thick lashes, aquiline nose, soft lips. He was much taller and thinner than anyone else, with pale skin that refused to tan and very light freckles across his face and arms. His voice was soft, yet oddly penatrating, as was his manner. You would not guess he was eleven if you took it for his hieght, nor if you looked at his face. Depending on your veiw, he was older or younger than his actual age. But hidden in this lightly built frame was an inner strength that surpassed all his other downcomings. He lacked strength, but was unreasonably quick in reflexes and wits, and could find the solution to a puzzle faster than even Izzy. Despite this, he still felt isolated from the others.  
  
That was why he savored being alone, darkness, and silence. Yet now he let his thoughts wander as he stood in the water, occasionally ducking his head under the water, feeling his hair float on his face, bubbles escaping and rising up along his skin, the waterfall's roar magnified in his ears, but also dulled in a way.  
  
****************************************  
  
Later, he sat near the pool, the waterfall's spray and mist barely reaching his bared arms. He was combing his wet hair, which hung nearly to his shoulders in damp strings. But as it dried, it fluffed up, until it was only damp in some places. Perhaps it was because he was in a shadow that he unfourtionately witnessed what he did.  
  
A tall, slender girl stepped out of the bushes. A silver glow seemed to pervade her appearance. She walked in a shimmer, silvery light playing upon her face and the water. She was tall, lithe, built as lightly as could be, a figure of unnatural beauty. Her skin was milk white, unblemished. Her feet were bare, her legs long. She wore a dress of dark grey silk, the hem coming to her knees. Her form was slender, feminine. Her hair was a shimmering white, reflecting the moonlight like a mirror, falling to her knees in curling waves. Pointed ears gracefully revealed themselves from under her hair, silver earrings glinting. Her face was slightly angular, but perfectly beautiful. Her eyes were a pure, living silver that seemed to glow in the night. She stepped gracefully into the water after a moment's pause.  
  
Matt was transfixed by her. He could not move, even if he had wanted to. This young woman held a dreamlike quality, surreal, a pure vision. He sighed lightly. Her gaze travelled to him. The level, intense stare of hers seemed to travel right to his heart, to see into his soul. She raised a perfect hand out of the water and beckoned to him. The silver bracelets around her wrist jingled like bells. Matt, as though in a trance, came forward, a blank stare in his eyes. He waded to where she stood, shoulder- deep in the crystline pool. Her hand came up and her fingers traced his cheek.......  
  
**************************************************************************** **************  
  
Tai called out, his voice breaking the stillness of the rosy dawn. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "MATT!" he yelled. No answer, only the echoes of his voice and the other's calls. Tai let his arms fall to his sides as he looked around. The Digi-Destined had woken up to find Matt gone. Indeed, no one could remember if he had come back to camp at all.  
  
Tai struck out towards the waterfall, acting on a hunch. Matt had faded off into the shadows. When asked, Matt had replied that he was going to the stream. Tai had a feeling that this was where he would find Matt. His Digi-vice picked up another signal. Tai broke into a trot. He pushed past a bush and halted dead in his tracks.  
  
Matt was laying on the bank of the stream, face up. His hands were by his side, gloved, and his chin rested on the collar of his shirt. He was still and pale. Tai broke out of his trance and walked forward, cautiously. He knelt by Matt's side. Matt's face was strangly pallid, his eyes closed, lips slightly parted. His breathing was slow and fitful. Tai laid a hand on Matt's shoulder, but pulled back, remembering the response that had brought yesterday. But now, he realized, there was no sunburn on Matt's shoulders. Tai replaced his hand and shook Matt gently.  
  
"Matt.... Come on, buddy, wake up!" Tai hissed. Matt slowly opened his eyes. He blinked. Tai was taken aback. Before Matt had blinked, his eyes had been a pure, living silver, instead of the normal crystal, stormy blue. Matt blinked again, glanced at Tai, and sat up, stretching.  
  
"Eesh, Matt where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you!" Tai exclaimed. Matt looked at Tai and opened his mouth to speak. Matt's eyes got wide, and he closed his mouth. One hand traveled up to his throat. He sat, and stared straight ahead, eyes wide in shock.  
  
"What?" Tai demanded. Matt glanced at him and nibbled on his lower lip. Tai rolled his eyes and whistled loudly. Within a few seconds, the others were clustered around them. Tai stood and offered a hand to Matt. To his surprise, Matt took it and stood. The others clamored for answers, questions ringing in the air. T.K came up and hugged his brother's waist, which was as high as the child could reach. Matt half-smiled and returned the hug, kneeling so that he was at eye level with T.K.  
  
"Matt, where've you been?" T.K asked, whispering so that he was heard under the noise of the others. Matt looked deep into T.K's eyes. He reached down and caught hold of T.K's hands. He clasped them tightly. He dropped his gaze to their hands, then back up to T.K's face. His eyes were desperatly pleading, lips slightly parted in a silent plea. T.K was slightly puzzled. Matt brought his younger brother's fingertips up and touched them lightly to his lips. T.K understood in a flash.  
  
"Matt, are you joking?" T.K asked softly. His reply was a vigorous shaking of Matt's head. His brother's blue eyes, so deep and dark, spoke in a pleading way right to T.K's heart. "Okay." Matt stood, T.K perched on his brother's hip. Matt blew an ear-splitting two-fingered whistle. All eyes turned to him and T.K as silence fell. Matt glanced at T.K.  
  
"Matt has something for me to tell you." T.K spoke in his slightly high, childish voice.  
  
"Just let Matt tell us where he was!" Tai snapped. Matt glared at Tai.  
  
"Like I was saying," T.K continued, ignoring Tai, "Matt told me something. He. . ." T.K faltered and glanced at Matt. His older brother nodded crisply. "He can't talk," T.K finished. At the collective gasps from the others, Matt nodded to say it was true. He felt Tai's sharp glance on him.  
  
"It's a joke, most likely," Tai snapped. "Okay, Matt, where were you last night?"  
  
Matt scowled. 'It's not a joke, Tai. Would I joke about something like this?!' His mind screamed. But all he did was glare at Tai. He realized he had opened his mouth to speak to Tai and tell him what he thought. Matt shut it and rolled his lips, Tai's sharp response stinging. Instead, Matt let his eyes travel to Tai, studying the leader, letting his eyes speak for him, pleading for Tai to understand.  
  
"Come on!" Tai yelled, angry. Matt winced. He set T.K down and walked up to Tai, fists clenched. He stood only inches from Tai, eyes snapping. He punched Tai in the face, then whirled on his heel to walk back to T.K. Tai leaped up and kocked Matt's feet out from under the blonde. Matt hit the ground, reflexes commanding a tuck-and-roll response. He came up, only to see Tai's white-gloved fist in his face. Matt staggered backwards into a tree. He leaned against it, then slipped to his knees, soundlessly voicing his pain. His burning eyes turned to Tai's face.  
  
Tai read pain and hurt in Matt's eyes, hurt from being not believed. Matt slowly reached a hand up to where Tai had punched him. He fliched when his fingers brushed the red spot on his cheekbone. He drew his hand back and looked again at Tai. His eyes seemed to say: "Now do you believe me?" Matt slowly stood, then walked past Tai to the others. T.K had tears running down his face.  
  
"Tai! Why don't you believe Matt?" T.K demanded. "I told you the truth!"  
  
Matt had grabbed a small notepad and a pencil from T.K's backpack. He scribbled something, and held it out for Tai to read. 'T.K is telling the truth. So am I. I don't now how it hapened, it just did.' Tai had to refrain from grinning at Matt's akward spelling.  
  
"Know is spelled with a 'K', and happened has two 'P's." Izzy piped up.  
  
Matt scribbled a reply. 'Oops. Sorry. I'm not the best spellr.'  
  
"Obviously not." Joe snickered, pushing his glasses up his nose. They immidiately migrated back down, proving the act futile. Matt winked in reply, and smiled. The kids wandered back to camp to get breakfast at Matt's written suggestion.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************  
  
The next night, it was still and quiet for Matt's watch. He glanced around at the clearing, at the other's sleeping forms. Matt looked up at the sky, and the near-full moon, the bright stars, the odd digital constellations. The wind whispered in silkenly in his ears as he pondered why he could not talk. He had tried, but to no avail. He drew out his harmonica and let it's mournful notes speak of his tradgedy to the still night. The others did not stir, used to hearing Matt's music in their sleep.  
  
Matt halted abrubtly when a soft call reached his ears. He shoved his harmonica in his pocket and walked from the clearing. A lightly glowing hand backoned him on, silver bracelets jingling melodiously. Matt followed, caught in a trance. The girl led him again to the pool. She waded in, white hair spreading out behind her like a delicate web. She waited while Matt took off his gloves, boots, socks, shirt and rolled up his jeans. He walked slowly forward. She recieved him with a caress, her slender fingers tracing the bruise Tai had given him. Matt was vaugly aware of the slight throbbing pain vanishing as his mind drifted into peaceful, silver oblivion.........  
  
**************************************************************************** **************  
  
The others found him by the stream again, on his back, gloved hands by his side, chin resting on his collar. He was pale and still. T.K appraoched this time, and was startled by the paleness of his older brother's face. The bruise Tai had given him was gone, replaced by smooth, light skin, like he had never been hit. Matt woke, and his eyes were a pure, living silver, until he blinked twice. Then he was himself, except he was still silent, unable to tell them what had heppened.  
  
The day went on, undisterbed, and they had fun fooling around and enjoying themselves. Their laughter rang out across the forest, across the silver pool, over the thunder of the waterfall. But one voice was missing from their glad mirth. Matt smiled, but he laughed silently. They all felt this loss, but tried not to show it.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************  
  
Night fell again. This time a full moon shone down, bright with a pale, silver light, gentle and yet strong at the same time. Tai had first watch, then Matt took over. Matt was playing his harmonica and gazing at the full moon when he heard a clear, soft voice calling to him. Again he stood, shoving his harmonica in his pocket. The girl led him back to the silver pool. She again waited calmly. Matt was unable to resist her gentle call. He longed to feel again that silken touch that tingled with an essence unknown to him. He waded in to her. Her eyes met his, and as her fingers touched his face, he again faded into oblivion........  
  
***************************************  
  
Matt came to himself abrubtly. It took him a few seconds to gather his wits. He blinked and his vision cleared. He and the girl were standing on the bank. Matt briefly wondered why he was dressed and fully dry. He looked into the girl's eyes. She was standing in front of him, merely a foot away. The water was to her right, the trees to her left. Matt realized something else. She was standing before him, her arms extended. Matt glanced down. The point of a dagger was at his chest.  
  
The dagger's blade seemed to be made of a strange rock. The hilt was pure silver, carved with runes. The girl's perfect, milk-white hands clasped the handle. His gaze was drawn to her living silver eyes. She put pressure on the dagger. Pain hit his chest as the dagger pierced his skin. His sharply-intaken breath hissed. He found that he could not move. He was frozen from his neck down. Yet he could feel the pain as she pressed the dagger deeper into his chest, working slowly. He could not tear his gaze away from her eyes.  
  
'I am sorry to do this, young human. But I must. I need a human's heart-blood to live..... You are the only one to have come under my enchantment for a thousand Digi-years. I am Silvara, a moon Fairy. I could not still the pain, but I could make it so that you could not wake the others.... You shall not die. Have no fear of death, young one. I will try to make this as quick as I can.' A soft voice, like silver water dropping into a crystal pool, swept into the crevaces of Matt's mind as the dagger came deeper.  
  
Matt soundlessly cried out as the pain grew. No words could describe this. Tears dripped down Matt's face as he threw his head back, face twisting with pain. The moonlight struck his face and shone lightly. The silence of the night remained unbroken. The dagger was pushed deeper. In the part of his mind untouched by pain, he wondered why he hadn't lost consciousness and why the dagger hadn't seemed to hit his breastbone.  
  
'Because.... Your tolerance of pain I increased. And a Moonstone dagger does not heed physical barriers,' Silvara replied quietly. The dagger came closer. The point just barely touched his heart. Silvara paused. Matt's tear-filled blue eyes met hers, pain making it hard for him to concentrate or see clearly. Her fingers gripped the dagger determinedly. With a final push, Matt felt the dagger pierce his heart. A warm liquid flowed down his chest as he flung his head back in agony. Silvara gave the dagger a quick twist. If Matt had been able to, he would have screamed. She slowly removed the dagger. A good inch of the point had been snapped off. The dagger had dark blood, Matt's blood, on its blade, and on its hilt, the blood spread, staining Silvara's milk-white fingers and arms, dripping from her silver bracelets.  
  
Blood flowed freely from the wound in Matt's chest, the warm, dark liquid soaking his shirt. Matt shut his eyes tightly, his breath hissing through clenched teeth. He could feel the point of the dagger still imbedded in his heart. Silvara put her right hand to his chest, palm cupped. Matt barely felt it. She took her hand back, a pool of blood rippling in her palm. She put her hand to her lips and drank it. The blood stained her lips. Matt saw this in a silver haze as the pain throbbed and washed over him, pain so strong no words could describe it. She looked back at him.  
  
'Thank you, young human. I shall live for another thousand Digi- years. You shall bear the mark of this encounter for the rest of your days. The dagger point shall stay in your heart as well. It may pain you, but I can do nothing for that. When you awake, you shall have your voice back....' Silvara whispered as she touched her bloody hand to Matt's throat. He gasped, and faded in the welcome darkness.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************  
  
The others came apon a truely horrifying scence. As before, Matt was on the bank of the stream, laying on his back, pale and still, but his shirt was torn. Blood stained his shirt almost black around the tear. A silver-scabbed cut, shaped in a cresent moon, was just above his heart. His Tag and Crest rested in the circle of the cresent. A silver-hilted dagger rested beside him. The point was broken off, the blade a strange stone. His face was nearly milk-white. Dark lashes rested on pale cheeks, lips slightly parted. Matt lay without moving.  
  
The others came cautiously forward. Joe came and, despite the blood, checked Matt's vital signs. He touched him and drew back with a horrified gasp. Matt's skin was chill and clammy to the touch. No pulse beat reassuringly, and he wasn't breathing. Joe hung his head. T.K's eyes filled with tears. The girls started crying. Izzy stared, as did Tai. T.K came forward and lighltly touched Matt's Crest with a trembling finger. He turned to the others.  
  
"C-could I be a-alone?" he asked in a wavering voice.  
  
"Sure, kiddo," Tai replied softly. He herded the others away, leaving T.K alone with his dead brother and his grief. T.K sobbed quietly and again touched Matt's Crest. His finger traced the design of a winged circle with a broken circle inside of it.  
  
"Matt.... Why?" T.K asked. A tear dripped onto the Crest. Matt twitched. T.K leaped back as if he had been shocked. He stared as Matt coughed, deep and raggedly. He rushed up as his brother drew a deep, gasping breath, and slowly opened his eyes. T.K eagerly searched his brother's eyes. Matt blinked, then his dulled gaze travelled to T.K's childish face.  
  
Matt coughed again. Suddenly pain twisted his features. He gasped, and closed his eyes. For a few seconds he laid there, hissing with pain. His fingers touched the cut on his chest lightly. Matt cried out, and tears ran down his face from the intense agony of the excruciating pain. After an interminable time had passed, Matt's features relaxed. He laid still, breathing heavily. He then opened his eyes and looked into T.K's. A weak smile crossed his face, and he carefully sat up.  
  
"Whatsa matter, squirt?" Matt whispered.  
  
"Are you really alive?" T.K breathed.  
  
"Yeah.... I wish I wasn't right now." Matt shuddered with pain. "Oww..."  
  
"Matt, you can talk again!" T.K chirped.  
  
"Mmhmm.... The dagger..." Matt said, distracted. T.K handed the bloodstained object to him. As Matt took it, a ray of pure morning sun hit it. The blade turned into a misty smoke and wafted off. A silver glow came from the hilt. It enveloped Matt. He cried out again. The hilt burned with a cold fire. The glow faded. Matt's shirt was whole again, and the bloodstains were gone. Color returned to his pallid cheeks. The dagger's hilt dropped to the ground, dirty and tarnished. It, too, turned into smoke and whispered off. Matt and T.K stared at each other for a few seconds, then they smiled and laughed softly.  
  
They stood and walked off to where the others were waiting for T.K. The amazed noise was louder than any other, but soon night fell.....  
  
******************************************  
  
Matt sighed. He pulled down the collar of his shirt. The cresent-moon shaped scar gleamed silver in the moonlight. The wind whispered past him, caressing his face silkenly. A chill spread from his heart outward. It radiated from the point of the dagger that rested in his heart. Pain twinged faintly. The wind died, but as it did, a voice called out. "Farewell, Matt....!" The night stilled. The pain stopped, the chill receded. Matt smiled softly and started to play his harmonica as the full moon smiled down on the clearing, the silver water, and Matt..........  
  
The End  
  
A/N: And here's the end! Did you think that Silvara lied, and that Matt was really dead? You didn't? Aaaawwww....... Rats! But did you enjoy this? I did! It was fun! If you can tell me where I got the idea for the dagger, then, well, I don't know what I'll do. Maybe write a ficcie for you. I guess.... But this is CaptainKidmon signing off, until I write again! 


End file.
